


Crack in the World

by socksbeforeglocks



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Just perhaps not the one you think ;), Other, Rise of the Hutt Cartel story, Some angst, Some relationships, all the disaster movies, and snappy comebacks, because that what ROTHC is, meets San Andreas, meets Volcano, think Day After Tomorrow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-01-24 15:19:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18574153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/socksbeforeglocks/pseuds/socksbeforeglocks
Summary: With both the Republic and Empire struggling to gain a foothold in a newly ignited war, the Hutt Cartel seizes the chance to establish their own power base by blockading the planet of Makeb. Major Caydenn Creed, along with Specialist Vik, are sent to combat the unwarranted threat and prevent the resurgence of the long-dead Hutt Empire.But there's more than Hutt's and treacherous mercenaries for the two soldiers to worry about.Deadly groundquakes tear through the Mesa's threatening to crack the world in two. Caydenn, along with her longtime friend Captain Tess Hawke, embarks on a dangerous journey across Makeb to end the Hutt's siege and save the ill-fated world from destruction.





	1. Acceptable Risks

**Author's Note:**

> Finish one story so I guess it's time to start another one. This follows the ROFTHC expansion with a few plot changes :)

Caydenn’s fingers flew across the viewscreen, shifting diagrams and planetary placements and twisting data readouts around to better clear her terminal and organize her thoughts. Ever since Havoc’s victories on Illum and Corellia against the Sith Empire the Major often found herself sifting through numerous requests and campaign details all sent to her squad from various high-ranking officers in an effort to entice them into battle. While still conscripted through Specforce she seemed to be taking her orders less from General Garza and more from Republic High Command, the Supreme Commander seeing fit to direct her squads’ movements. Still, she had some say in what missions her team could accept while on leave from official orders, which is what led to her spare time being filled with endless paperwork. 

Paperwork that cut into her time she could be spending with Gav and Anne on Ord Mantell. Or with her adoptive daughter Rennie, who she had left in the care of the retired soldier and nurse while she was actively serving. As of late Anne had been sending her troubling messages of Rennie being withdrawn or engaging in fights or skipping school to tinker in Gav’s shop. The Twi’lek woman had made it clear the behavior was escalating. 

‘She needs you Caydenn. She listens to you. Trusts you.’ Anne’s words echoed in her mind and Caydenn sighed rubbing a hand over her eyes ruefully. She had tried to holo the human girl several times. Sometimes she picked up and other times…well, Caydenn had once been her age, alone and missing a family that would never come back. 

A sudden beep from her console pulled her from her thoughts and Caydenn cleared her viewscreen, noticing the message was being routed to the bridge. She pushed back on her chair and stood, stretching until she felt her back crack accordingly before taking the stairs to the bridge two at a time. Jorgan sat at the front helm, fingers tapping at his terminal to bring the priority holo up while Elara and Vik slipped in behind her quietly. 

The holo flickered to life and a Senate service droid appeared. “Please stand by for a priority communication from Supreme Chancellor Leontyne Saresh of the Galactic Republic.” The droid disappeared and a clear image of the older Twi’lek woman dressed in a stately white garb appeared. Caydenn’s brow rose at the sight. It was…uncommon for the Supreme Chancellor to contact her in such an auspicious way. 

“I apologize for contacting you outside of normal channels major, but I need Havoc Squad immediately.” 

Caydenn offered her a quick smile in turn. “We’re prepared to handle anything, Madame Chancellor. My teams itching for a fight as it is.”

“Good. We’ll need you ready in this upcoming mission against our foes,” the Chancellor said. 

“Is it the Empire ma’am? Just give us the coordinates and op details and we’ll move out,” Caydenn asserted. 

Saresh shook her head. “It’s not the Empire we have to worry about this time Major. At least not yet. The Hutt Cartel has invaded sovereign Republic space and seized the planet Makeb. We must respond to this unprovoked act of aggression accordingly.”

“The Hutt’s? What’s their interest in this planet exactly?” 

“We’re not entirely sure, but it is not something we can ignore. My War Council is gathering on Keylander Station in the Makeb system. I want you there as soon as possible Major.”

Caydenn offered the Supreme Chancellor a quick salute and signaled to Jorgan to begin inputting coordinates. “I’ll set a course for the Makeb system immediately. 

Saresh smiled in gratitude and cut the transmission. Jorgan looked to her for confirmation and Caydenn nodded. He pushed the throttle forward and the Thunderclap slipped into hyperspace smoothly. 

“The Hutt’s are now in the business of hostilely acquiring property? They’re business moguls, not warlords,” Jorgan said sitting back in his seat. 

“Hutt’s have a long history of taking what they want when they want. Use to have an Empire thousands of years ago that spanned much of the Mid Rim,” Vik explained leaning against the communication’s console. Everyone just stared back at the hulking Weequay in silence. “What?” 

“We weren’t aware of your knowledge on ancient Hutt history,” Elara pointed out. 

“Or that the word ‘spanned’ was a part of your vocabulary,” Jorgan grunted. 

Vik rudely gestured back at them and Caydenn chuckled before taking her seat at the command terminal and strapping in. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keylander station hovered just above the jeweled planet of Makeb like a silent guardian to the quiet planet below. The station was surrounded by several Thranta-class corvettes, sleek and maneuverable starships built for rapid delivery of troops and supplies and one Valor-class capital ship. Caydenn was surprised to see the massive cruiser stationed beside the station, those ships rarely left the Core Worlds and never traveled to the Mid or Outer Rim. The situation must truly be as serious as the Supreme Chancellor made it seem. 

Beyond Keylander station dotting the space above Makeb sat several Hutt warships. Their turrets were pointed in the direction of the Republic Navy, but neither party was engaging each other. It appeared as if the two sides were caught in a stalemate. 

“Bring us in.” 

The Thunderclap drifted into an empty hanger and gently set down. All around the ship Republic personnel scurried about securing the hanger and pushing supplies. Caydenn exited the Thunderclap and cut through the throngs of people rushing about. It seemed that not only Republic personnel had taken over the station but citizens from Makeb as well. The people were harried and disheveled, many clutching bags and satchels and talking in angry voices. 

“I don’t understand why you can’t just let us board. We’ve been stuck on this station for three days now! We want to go home!” A woman, appearing in her thirties with two small children stood imploringly before a Republic soldier who only waved her away. 

“I’m sorry ma’am but it’s too dangerous to travel to the surface unless authorized.” 

Caydenn shook her head. The pleas of the people trapped in the cramped ports echoing about. She pressed in her security access to the conference chamber noted on her datapad and stepped inside. The room was spacious compared to the crowded terminals outside, with Senate troopers stationed at every exit, rifles held at the ready. 

“Most cordial greetings. I am XEN-3LO Republic protocol officer. Welcome to Keylander Station in the Makeb system,” a lanky gray droid with iridescent eyes greeted the Zabrak. 

“You want to tell me what’s happening out there?” Caydenn asked hooking her thumb back at the door she had just come through. 

The droid shook its head. “Please hold all questions for Supreme Chancellor Saresh and her delegation.” 

The blastdoors on the other side of the room slid open and Saresh marched in flanked by another two Senate guards and two portable holo terminals. The Twi’lek looked calm though Caydenn could tell from the twitch in her left brow whatever was happening on Makeb was troubling her. The holo terminals buzzed to life as Saresh came to a halt in front of her, the grainy blue images of Grand Master Satele and Supreme Commander Jace Malcolm flickered to life. 

“I’m sure the brave soldier who stands before us needs no introduction. Her victories are numerous though many must remain classified and there are not enough ways the people of the Republic can thank her,” Saresh began. 

Caydenn nodded respectively to the Grandmaster and Malcolm before turning to the Supreme Chancellor. “Havoc Squad is a team ma’am. I could never have accomplished anything without them and knowing the Republic is safe is all the thanks we need.” She didn’t become a soldier for fame. She became a soldier to protect the people who mattered the most to her. 

“People need to know there are heroes out there Major. Now more than ever.” 

“I’m not a hero Madam Chancellor, and certainly not one the public needs,” Caydenn disagreed. While her intentions had always been honorable there were things she had done in the service to the Republic she was not proud of. Lives she had taken, missions that bordered on unethical, orders she had given that she regretted. She wasn’t a hero; she was a soldier doing the jobs others couldn’t or wouldn’t do. 

Saresh frowned but didn’t press the subject. “Victory over the Empire is closer now more than ever. Their losses on Corellia and Illum, coupled with the downfall of their false emperor has left them scrambling to recoup and defend their holdings. It is a time for us to press the advantage and take the fight to them, but first, we must deal with a cowardly act of unwarranted aggression; Supreme Commander Malcolm.”

“Twenty days ago, the Hutt Cartel violated Republic Space and seized the planet Makeb,” Malcolm explained. A display appeared showing a rapid series of holos of the Hutt’s warships blockading the space above Makeb and bombarding the cities below. “They’ve blockaded the system with thirty heavy-class cruisers and an assortment of Corvettes. We have them in a stalemate at the moment only because the majority of the fleet was pulled away to combat an unknown threat.”

“Do we know what drew their attention away?”

“Sources believe it’s a set of skirmishes with the Empire, but reports are vague at best,” Malcolm replied.

“Makeb’s citizens have formally pledged to join the Republic if we respond to their crisis,” Saresh cut in. “We will not abandon them to the Hutt’s brutality.” 

Caydenn briefly wondered what the government of Makeb truly offered to Saresh in return for aid. She could respect the other woman as a strong leader who pushed for bold tactics and placed the Republic’s interests at the forefront, but Saresh was also a sly dealer who often required some form of compensation in turn for help. 

“If we’re willing to fight the Hutt Cartel for a planet that has been neutral up until now there must be a damn good reason.” 

“Makeb is a paradise. The quality of living is significantly above the galactic average. Much of the wealth is derived from mining and tourism. This is a world worth saving and a valuable resource in the renewed war.”

Caydenn often wondered if Saresh had some form of military background. When she spoke, it was often about obtaining resources or furthering objectives offensively. She hardly spoke with the cultured finesse of a Coruscanti politician, but rather with the brusque forwardness of a commanding officer. How far she had come from being just the governor of a struggling backwater colony on Taris. 

“Severe atmospheric conditions on Makeb make largescale troop landings impossible. Instead, we’ve landed small squads of soldiers on the surface that have grouped with local resistance forces,” Malcolm laid out.

“One of Makeb’s local business leaders Shalim Avesta is awaiting you on the surface. He will be your resource while ground side,” Saresh continued. 

“How many of the locals are we counting on for backup?” Caydenn questioned. She usually didn’t like using locals to fight in a war. Civvies tended to get in the way and complicate the mission, but in a situation like this where most of their troops were held up in atmo using local resistance may be the only plausible way to combat this threat. 

“The citizens are mostly ill-equipped for any sort of armed assistance. They will mostly provide enemy intelligence. Liberating Makeb is your top priority, but I also want the Hutt’s ambitions put to a stop. Grand Master Satele Shan has insight regarding our enemies future plans.”

The Jedi had been silent for much of the briefing, choosing to stand quietly, her gray eyes flickering between all who were gathered. Caydenn didn’t put much stock in this Force nonsense. She could appreciate a Jedi’s battle prowess, but when they inserted their beliefs into military matters it…irked her. “The Jedi Council has meditated on the Hutt Cartel’s actions. We believe that Makeb is a staging point for a larger attack on the galaxy.” 

Caydenn’s thoughts flashed back to Vic’s callback of the once proud Hutt Empire. Had the Cartel’s really gained that much power that they were now a liable threat to the galaxy at large? 

“The Hutt’s cannot be allowed to expand their domain at our expense,” Saresh inputted. 

“My team and I won’t allow that to happen,” Caydenn affirmed. 

Saresh nodded in approval. “A shuttle will take you to Avesta’s estate. The craft is small and can allow two passengers. The rest of your team will have to remain on Keylander station until further craft can be procured.” 

Caydenn saluted and Saresh and her entourage took their leave. Caydenn set off back to her ship her mind sifting through the intel she had just received. It wouldn’t be the first time she would be going up against the Cartel. She vividly remembered fighting against the gangsters in Coruscant’s underbelly with Jorgan, but somehow, she knew this experience would be different. 

“So, boss what’s the news?” Vic pressed once she boarded the Thunderclap and began checking her loadouts and pack. 

“Suit up and get ready to haul ass Vic. We’re planetside in twenty.” 

“How many for this op Major?” Jorgan asked prepping his rifle. 

“Just me and Vic this time.” 

“What?”

“Atmo’s supercharged. Can’t land the Thunderclap ground side without getting fried. The shuttle can only accommodate two. Vic and I will establish ground support while the rest regroup with Naval Command and find a way planetside,” Caydenn explained checking the sites on her rifle before slipping it over her shoulder. 

“Sir, do you think it’s wise to take Vic?” Elara asked. 

“Kriff off Dorne,” Vic grunted, but Elara ignored him. 

“Vic has the most experience with the Cartel out of any of us. I need his knowledge on how to best deal with them.” 

Elara still looked like she wanted to say more but kept silent. Caydenn finished her prep and Vic gave her a thumbs up. They pushed off, pressing through the throngs of people, flashing security details to gain entrance to the port their shuttle was docked at. A skinny Zabrak with thin brown hair stood refueling a small ship barely bigger than an escape pod. The vessel was riddled with scorch marks and dents and look about ready to fall apart if someone sneezed on it. 

“Piece of junk looks like it won’t even take off,” Vic muttered over the closed comm in their HUDs. 

The pilot turned to address them. “You’re the one I am to transport, yes?” He spoke in thick Huttese and bobbed his head as he talked. 

Caydenn nodded. “This thing will fly?”

The pilot grinned. “Of course. Most ships get torn to shreds in the electric atmosphere, but mine is specially insulated to prevent that. Climb aboard.” 

The space inside was cramped. It seemed the pilot had stuffed the compartment to the brim with supplies and other necessities so finding a place to sit was impossible. Instead, the two soldiers braced themselves as best they could, the ship shaking and rattling as it took off. Several times Caydenn swore she heard the engines sputter and sparks flew from the wiring hanging loose overhead. The landing was less thrilling than the ride down thankfully. They set down rather gently and the pilot released the landing ramp with two solid kicks from his booted foot. 

“Should have taken my anti-nausea stims before that kriffing ride,” Vic grumbled shouldering his rifle. 

“You’ll live,” Caydenn quipped back as they both set off through the city towards Avesta’s estate. The more they moved inwards the more Caydenn was beginning to understand why the Hutt’s had seized this place. Wealth oozed from every building and structure around. The gently sloping bricked buildings and shaded cobblestone squares boasting open-air markets were impeccably upkept. Clear crystal pools of water overhung with green foliage and bright flora dotted the square. This place was clearly built for the wealthy in mind. They turned sharply and ascended a flight of steps leading to a gated vista overlooking the edge of the mesa. Caydenn pressed in the security code and waited. 

“Where is everyone?” Vic speculated aloud. 

Caydenn spared a glance around and wondered that as well. “Hiding most likely. Probably don’t want to get caught up in the crossfire.” 

The gates slid open and Caydenn pushed inside, Vic following closely. They cut through the main vista and found Shalim Avesta sitting stooped over his terminal, hands flying across the console while a tall well-muscled Nikto stood nearby, his hand dropping to the blaster strapped at his side when he caught sight of them, but relaxed when he noticed the Republic insignia emblazoned on their armor. 

“Avesta,” he grunted lowly pulling the harried man’s attention away from his screen and to his visitors. Shalim Avesta was an average man who carried the air of importance. His brown hair was neatly combed back from his face and his clothes were finely pressed and embroidered. He was a man of wealth and authority. A man used to routine and business meetings, not armed conflicts and sieges. 

“Welcome Major, I’m Shalim Avesta. The Supreme Chancellor pledged her support, but I never imagined the elite Havoc Squad. I’m honored.” Shalim stood and walked around his desk to properly greet her. “My family helped found Makeb. Avesta mining as lead our business counsel for decades now. I was practically the Chief of State before the Cartel took over.” He sighed and rubbed his forehead ruefully pausing in his ramble briefly. “It wasn’t an easy decision joining the Republic. Makeb has remained independent and neutral for years, but if picking a side is the only way to regain my worlds freedom then so be it.”

Caydenn could understand the sentiment, but succession of the government was the least of her worries now. “No one’s asking you to step down Shalim. As soon as the Hutt’s are dealt with Makeb’s government will continue to operate as it once did.” 

“I appreciate your vote of confidence Major,” Shalim said giving her a strained smile. “I only hope your Supreme Chancellor honors it. This here is Ilosov; a former mercenary with the Interstellar Regulators which until recently were Makeb’s private and trusted military and police force.”

“Quite when the Regulators sold out to the Hutt’s,” Ilosov grunted, his voice a low gravel. “I don’t betray a client for credits.”

Caydenn tilted her head to the side considering the brawny Nikto for a moment. Most thugs she had encountered were all too happy to swap loyalties if it meant earning a few extra credits. Their lives dictated by the amount of money they earned. She wondered if there was something else swaying his interests. Why throw his lot in with a struggling government instead of accepting a raise from the Hutts?

“Exceptions like him notwithstanding,” Shalim said interrupting the Major’s thoughts. “The Cartel bought off the Regulator forces and turned our former protectors against us.” 

“How many ex-mercenaries do you have on your side?” Caydenn asked. She needed a clue of what kind of opposition she would be facing. Saresh had mentioned that there would be little support for her in terms of proper armed forces. Perhaps she could use any remaining Regulators left to help bolster the meager resistance. 

Shalim frowned deeply and Ilosov just scowled. “Not many. Any Regulators who refused the buyout either ran or got shot.” 

“You in contact with any?”

Ilosov shrugged but nodded. “A few. I’ve been able to round up those in hiding and get them working on pushing back the Hutt’s from here.” 

“I still don’t know why this has happened,” Shalim cut in. “We’ve conducted peaceful business with the Hutt Cartel for years.”

Caydenn shook her head. The Cartel was run by thieves and psychopaths. To think one could conduct honest business with them was insane. The Cartel took what they wanted when they wanted and anyone who said otherwise ended up dead or missing. Suddenly, the ground beneath the soldier’s feet began to rumble and vibrate, the feeling growing more powerful with every passing second. She watched the color drain from Shalim’s face and Ilosov swore, grabbing the large desk behind him and the older businessman’s arm to steady them both as the shaking increased. The whole room seemed to tilt violently as the quaking toppled chairs, bodies, and holos, but as quickly as the tremors began, they vanished, leaving everyone with shaky knees. 

“You okay?” Ilosov inquired righting himself and Shalim. 

“We’re fine. Are quakes common here?”

“On occasion yes,” Shalim admitted with hesitance. “But they’ve grown much worse since the Hutt’s began their deep core mining. There has been a series of groundquakes growing in intensity. The Tigan Mining Colony was destroyed last week.” 

“Still pulling bodies out of that mess. Casualty and damage reports are coming. The city got rattled pretty hard but no major injuries,” Ilosov said glancing over the readouts pouring over his datapad intently. 

“I wasn’t briefed on the severity of these groundquakes. Did you make sure to make this problem known when you contacted the Republic?” Caydenn asked. Something as big as regular seismic activity put a kink in the operation. It could impede movement and prove dangerous out in the field where she was operating in unfamiliar territory. 

“I didn’t think it was relevant,” Shalim began defensively, holding his hands up in protest. “The tremors weren’t noticeable, at least until recently.” 

“Lemda told you there was a connection between the groundquakes and the Hutt’s,” Ilosov muttered. 

“Lemda?”

“My niece,” Shalim sighed. “She’s a respected geophysicist and the one who helped whip up this little resistance. She…believes there’s a link between the deep core mining the Hutt’s have been conducting recently and the increasing seismic activity.” 

“You don’t believe her though,” Caydenn assumed taking note of Shalim’s growing frustration at the mention of the girl. 

“She…” The man let out a deep huff. “She’s never supported my dealings with the Hutts. Lemda’s been telling anyone who would listen about her theory and I told her that the seismic activity couldn’t have been from the mining. My family has been mining for years and it never caused any problems.”

“At least nothing that you knew about,” Ilosov pushed and Shalim shot him a sour look. 

“She was causing a scene. The Hutt’s were threatening to pull their business. Makeb would stand to lose billions in revenue all because of my niece’s confounded delusions,” Shalim argued. 

“Looks like you stand to lose a bit more now though,” Vik quipped humorously.

Shalim opened and closed his mouth rapidly before slumping his shoulders in defeat. “I realize that trusting the Hutt’s was wrong on my part, and my people are paying for that now, but I need your help, Major. Makeb needs your help.”

“That’s why I’m here sir. My team and I will do everything we can to help. Starting with organizing and arming a proper resistance force and gaining intel on the Hutt’s plans,” Caydenn assured the older man. “I would also like to speak with your niece about these groundquakes and get her take on how best to navigate them.” 

“I can get to work on all of that immediately Major but my niece…”

Caydenn inclined her head for him to continue. 

“She…I haven’t been able to contact her for quite some time. I thought that maybe the quakes had forced her to take shelter somewhere but…” Shalim looked down at the floor.

“She was taking seismic readings on the Tolum Mesa when word got out that the entire area was swarmed by a Regulator company. We haven’t been able to reach her since,” Ilosov finished, his broad shoulders were tight, green eyes alight with worry. 

“I tried to send search parties out for her, but we’ve gotten no word from them as of late,” Shalim continued. “These people aren’t trained to fight hardened mercenaries.” 

“What kind of people made up these search parties? Are they at least armed?”

“The bulk of our civilian resistance are mostly volunteers from the surrounding cities. Few know how to fight, and even less know how to use a blaster,” Shalim admitted. 

“I’ve accomplished missions with less,” Caydenn assured him. 

“If the parties are still out there, they may have been pushed back to Wayla Outpost. It’s a small mining town on the edge of the Tolum Mesa. If the Regulators take the outpost there will be no way of landing reinforcements and finding Lemda,” the Nikto revealed taking a step forward. “We can’t let that happen.” 

“You know the Regulators better than anyone. I could use your help out there,” Caydenn said. Ilosov not only had detailed knowledge of the Hutt’s operations but also of Regulator tactics. It also helped that the Nikto looked like he could handle himself in a fight. His knuckles were split open and small scars dotted his neck and head, evidence of the rough lifestyle he lived. He could help her navigate the terrain and push the Regulators back. 

Ilosov stepped forward, his eyes hardening, and began to nod his head when Shalim cut in. “I prefer that Ilosov stay here. The Regulators don’t know about our rebellion yet, or of Ilosov’s defection. If they find out about either, I’ll need him here to coordinate defense measures.”

The Nikto looked frustrated and ready to argue Shalim’s plan, but instead only sighed and stepped back. Caydenn didn’t entirely agree with Shalim’s assessment, she would much rather have an experienced guide helping her traverse the dangerous territory than go it alone, but she also didn’t want to push the already clearly stressed man. “Understood.” 

“Take my personal shuttle to the Mesa. Lane Farrow is my man on the ground if he’s still alive. He can help you find Lemda,” Shalim explained. She nodded and made a mental note of the man’s name before pushing off with Vik in tow. 

Shalim’s shuttle was top of the line. Dual thermal engines, sleek gray finish, and copious space for both the soldiers to fly comfortably. But while the ship was pretty to behold it lacked little in personal defense and to Caydenn felt more like flying target than a ship. As she navigated the ship between the majestic mesa’s that dotted the landscape her thoughts wandered to Shalim’s deals with the Hutt’s and the groundquakes, both things the businessman had conveniently forgotten to tell the Supreme Chancellor. It made her wonder what else he was hiding? 

“I see why the Hutt’s chose to put down here. Could see myself staying for a while,” Vik murmured from his spot beside her in the copilot's chair. Caydenn had to agree with him. Massive glittering waterfalls tumbled over green mesa’s, plummeting far below to create a soft mist that enveloped the massive rock formations but never overtook them. Twisting rivers wound through lush forests untouched by man or machine. It was paradise. Overrun by Hutt’s and mercenaries.  
She could see in the distance smoke and flashes of mortar fire exploding throughout the forests below as the Regulators cut through the woods to Wayla Outpost. T

The tiny settlement, situated on the precarious edge of the mesa, boasted three landing pads and a small clustering of duracrete buildings and a myriad of tents sprawled about. Caydenn carefully set down and grabbed her rifle before exiting the ship. This high up on the mesa left the wind to buffet her from all sides as she strode across the plain towards a small group of individuals cloistered around several walls hastily thrown together from leftover scrap. A poor excuse for a defensive position. 

“Listen, kid, all I need is a plasma transvertor and two patch circuits and I’ll be out of your life. I have the credits.” Caydenn paused, her attention drawn to the right at the sound of a very familiar voice. 

“Ma’am I don’t live here. I’m only here to help find someone. You’ll have to ask the mechanic in the outpost.”

“Well kid if you just point that individual out, I’ll do that.” 

It couldn’t be. 

“My name is Lane Farrow ma’am, not kid.”

“Sorry, you just look like you still belong in primary school.”

It was. 

“Tess?”

The two humans turned to regard her, one the ever-surprising redheaded starship Captain and unlucky smuggler who the soldier personally knew for better or worse, and the other a lanky young man with short blond hair, thin lips, and ears that stuck out a bit too far from his head. 

“Blue-eyes?” Tess asked surprised turning to offer the Major a friendly smile. 

“I told you not to call me that,” Caydenn sighed. 

Tess shrugged unapologetically. “Can’t help that the name sticks.” 

“What are you doing here?”

“Delivering some…cargo. I owed a favor to an old friend of mine,” Tess casually explained. 

“Do I even want to ask for any details.” It wasn’t as if Caydenn didn’t suspect Tess was doing something illegal. She knew the smuggler was. Tess and shady were two things that went together like Tatooine and sand did. 

“Captain I’m offended you would even suggest…would even have the gall to assume I and my associates would be involved in anything less than respectable and law-abiding,” Tess prosed in mock indignation throwing a hand in the air for good measure. Far behind her situated on a landing pad in the distance, the Major could just make out the other woman’s ship, an old XS Corellian Freighter where two figures were moving about. 

Caydenn only shook her head but chuckled lowly at her friend’s over the top display. “It’s Major now Hawke.”

Tess blinked then let a genuine smile spread across her face. “Congrats Girl Scout. When your done doing your job we should hit one of the bars around here to celebrate. My treat.” 

“Actually gonna pay this time,” Vik ribbed. 

Tess threw a sly wink his way. “Don’t count on it.” Vik laughed and the two bumped shoulders. 

“Excuse me but who are you?”

Caydenn turned to regard the young man who had addressed her. “You’re Lane Farrow, right?”

He nodded nervously, eyes darting about her scorched armor and heavy weapons she carried. 

“Shalim Avesta sent me. I’m here to provide backup.” 

Relief flooded into the man’s eyes and he almost looked like he could start crying. “Reinforcements! We’re saved! Prasque get over here its reinforcements.” 

A tall Weequay came lumbering over. In his hands, he held an old blaster rifle though he carried it awkwardly, as if unfamiliar with the weight and feel of the weapon. 

“Speak up Lane. Not sure if the whole Mesa heard you.” He gave the young man a hard glare which he withered under. “Name’s Prasque if slick here didn’t enunciate it clearly enough.” 

“Major Creed and this here’s Specialist Vik. Give me a sitrep.”

Prasque sighed heavily. “We’re outnumbered and outgunned. No one here knows much in the way of fighting. Kid here is an accountant and barely knows which way to point a blaster. Can’t say I’m much better though. Used to be a mining foreman before all this shavit started.”

“We’ve set up some barricades, but they're not doing much against the Regulators,” Lane chimed in. “A whole mess of them are headed this way.” 

“What’s the plan boss?” Prasque asked. 

“Ready weapons and split into several groups to cover every barricade. Wait for the Regulators to group up then open fire. We’ll catch them in a crossfire and push them back,” Caydenn explained pointing to the half a dozen barriers strewn about. 

“That’s it?”

“It’ll help if you aim, but that probably won’t be necessary given that you’ll have plenty of targets,” Tess pointed out. 

“I could use your gun out there if your up for it,” Caydenn suggested. Usually, she was vehemently against allowing civvies to join in a firefight. They tended to get in the way or get killed, but given she was about to face a massive offensive force with little more than accountants and miners as her back up she would take any and all help. Plus, Tess was a crack shot. Her aim was astounding and her skill with blasters next to none. 

“I’m flattered you would ask, but you know my policy on…largescale uncivilized disputes.”

Caydenn shrugged. It was worth a shot. She couldn’t force the woman into risking her life. 

“You know,” Lane piped up from beside her. “I can’t get you the parts your looking for from this outpost, but I have friends back in Talos City I could contact who have what you’re looking for. That said if I’m dead…well…”

Tess stared the man down pensively. “You extorting me kid?” 

His poor face blanched. “What!? N-no. I mean y-yes uh no…maybe?” 

Tess took a deep breath in through her nose and clapped her hands together. “You strike a hard deal kid. I want a 70% discount.” 

“I can’t-.”

“And free delivery.”

“I…oh all right,” Lane relented. “I’ll see what I can do.” 

“Stow the chatter people and form up. Regulators are close. Should breach that ridge in minutes,” Caydenn ordered snapping everyone around her to attention. They quickly all scattered to their respective barricades as Caydenn and Vik took the centermost one and hunkered down, resting their rifles atop the metal grating. 

Tess slid in beside her and blew a stray piece of air free from her eyes, blasters drawn and aimed at the ridge. “You sure can inspire the uninspired Major.” 

Caydenn shifted and pressed the stock of her rifle firmly against her shoulder. It wouldn’t do to have it slipping mid fight and misfiring. “Why do you need those parts so badly?”

Tess primed her pistols and glanced her way. “Electrical storms tore a hole straight through my ion shield and fried the plasma transvertor and several conductors. No transvertor means no ion shield which means I’m grounded on this planet till I get my ship fixed. I don’t plan on sticking around long, open warfare and Hutts are a bad combination.” 

Caydenn couldn’t agree more. A fact becoming more apparent as dozens of Regulators swarmed the ridge. They began firing down at the forces gathered behind the tiny barricades, blaster bolts peppering the flimsy metal. Caydenn lined up her sites on the closest target, a large burly Twi’lek holding a blaster cannon and fired, not even checking to see the aftermath of her shot, instead firing on her next target. She squeezed the trigger watching bodies begin to pile up as the unaware Regulators, drawn by her fire, were mowed down in the blaze of crossfire coming from all sides. Tess skillfully picked off any stragglers looking to sneak past their lines and get behind them, her shots a smattering of plasma holes in their chests and guts. 

“Frag out!” Vik yelled beside her as he tossed his primed explosive into the middle of the Regulator horde and watched it tear their ensuing ranks apart. They scrambled to climb away, Caydenn sniping them off easily. All at once the firing ceased, as the remaining mercenaries retreated over the ridge in defeat, the hill before them littered with bodies. She warily peaked over the wall and surveyed the damage. The barricades were mostly destroyed, and several resistance fighters lay dead and more still wounded. 

“Major we did it!” 

Caydenn turned to regard Lane as he ran up to her. 

“Get down kid,” Vik hissed yanking the excited accountant down. “Wanna get your head blown off?”

“But we won?” Lane questioned. 

“For now,” Caydenn murmured. “Doesn’t mean the Regulators aren’t gone though. Could be a sniper stationed further up.” She scanned the terrain carefully then slowly rose, the others following her lead. “All secure.” 

“Those mercenaries will think twice before hitting this outpost again,” Prasque grunted walking up to join them at the bottom of the hill. 

“For now. You’ll need to reinforce your position though in case the Regulators launch a counterattack.” 

“You’re not staying to help?” Lane asked as slight tremble making his voice shake. 

Caydenn shook her head. “I have to find Shalim’s niece Lemda. She has intel that I need.” 

“Right the geo-whatever she is,” Prasque grunted. “We’ve haven’t had much luck figuring out where she is.” 

“We found her ransacked campsite before the Regulators pushed us out,” Lane continued. “They must have taken her and whatever she was working on. It must have been important for them to risk traveling out here.” 

“Why’s that?” Tess asked.

“Mesa’s unstable. The groundquakes have destabilized the entire area making the terrain a nightmare to travel,” Prasque explained. 

“Deadly atmosphere, groundquakes, and covered in Hutts…real paradise you got going on here,” Tess muttered glancing at the ground beneath her feet as if expecting it to give way any second. 

“Is it possible she escaped on foot? Gone somewhere safe?” Caydenn cut in. If Lemda was captured by the Regulators, then she may already be dead. 

“It’s possible, but not likely. If she had she would have contacted someone like Ilosov to come pick her up,” Prasque said crossing his arms over his chest. 

“If they have taken her where could they have gone?” 

“Well, our scanners have indicated that no one has left the Mesa since you came, so they must still be here,” Lane offered, glancing down at his datapad. “Our scouts have reported that the Regulators have several camps scattered over the Mesa. She may be at one those.”

“Except there are half dozen or so camps on this Mesa alone, possibly more. We’d have to search each one to find her,” Prasque growled rubbing his head in frustration. 

“With the Majors luck she’ll be in the last place she looks, but who knows maybe you’ll luck out on the first try,” Tess said patting Caydenn’s shoulder. 

“Hit and run assaults are a Havoc Squad specialty,” Caydenn said. “We’ll find her.” 

“We?”

“Wouldn’t mind having the extra gun along. Plus, if we find a comm frequency station I know you can slice in so we can learn of the Regulators movements.” 

“I’ve already done my good deed for the week, Major. Anything more would just throw things out of balance,” Tess protested backing up slightly. 

“I’m sure Shalim, Makeb’s Head of State, would be very grateful to whoever helped bring his niece back safely,” Caydenn pressed. 

Tess turned around and paced a few steps away, rolling her head back and forth, before returning. “I’m only doing this because I have time to kill while doughboy here gets my parts.” She hooked her thumb back at Lane who scowled at the name. 

“We’ll hold this landing zone until you come back. Good luck.”


	2. Signs

The first camps they hit are completely empty. Scattered tents and comm equipment litter the ground where it was clear people had left in a rush. No doubt the remnants of the Regulators they had pushed back from Wayla Outpost. There’s holos Tess splices into that show a Chagrian man dressed in heavy armor giving various orders to his forces.

Vice Commandant Grevin. Caydenn has seen his type before. An old war dog, no doubt a veteran of the war looking to make a profit off the extortion of others. He was a man not ruffled by everyday violence and warfare. He thrived on it, and he made sure his men thrived on it as well. A problem she would have to deal with later.

They jumped down a small ravine to a pathway that curled between two jutting rocks. They followed the winding trail carefully, noting the numerous footprints stamped into the ground beneath them. Evidence of heavy foot traffic. Caydenn held up her fist. Behind her, Vic and Tess paused and readied their weapons. She peered out from behind her perch, the scanners on her HUD picking up any movement and calculating its position to the layout of the terrain in front of her. Only a handful of Regulators appeared to be guarding this camp. They were all lounging about, completely unaware of their surroundings. Easy targets to pick off.

She held up two fingers then her palm. Vic split right and she cut left while Tess stayed where she was, providing backup. Even though they had the element of surprise it would only take one of the merc’s to raise the alarm. Then they would be in a world of shavit. She slipped through the wire fencing with ease and crept along a stack of crates towards three guards milling about a security terminal. This camp seemed to be better equipped, more high-tech gear and communications equipment. Perhaps this was the Regulators main base of operations on this Mesa.

She slid in behind one of the guard’s and wrapped her hands around his neck, roughly snapping it to the side. As his body dropped, the second man turned, but Caydenn was already on him, knife drawn. She plunged the blade between his third and fourth rib twice. The last Regulator turned at the muffled commotion, his dark eyes widening at the sight of his two dead comrades, hands scrambling to lift his rifle. Too slow. With a quick flick of her wrist, Caydenn’s knife found its home hilt deep in the man’s neck. He gurgled futilely as the Zabrak approached, body twitching in its last throws before lying still as she withdrew the blade and wiped it off. Across from her, she saw the remaining Regulators lying motionless at Vic’s feet. He gave a thumb’s up and Caydenn waved him over along with Tess.

“Think you can crack this terminal?” She asked pointing to the main field station the dead mercenaries had been guarding.

“Piece of cake,” Tess assured the soldier’s cracking her knuckles and setting to work.

A beep on her commlink tore Caydenn’s attention away from her friend. “Creed here.”

“It’s Prasque.” The foreman’s voice was fading in and out, no doubt caused by the Regulators spotty jamming equipment. “Caught some chatter from the Regulators comms. They’re pulling back. Outpost is safe. Repeat, Outpost Wayla is safe.”

Relief washed over Caydenn at the news. A secure landing zone would go a long way in her retrieval mission. “Copy that. Dig in and hold the LZ.”

“Roger Major. We’ll keep our ears to the ground for anything else.”

The transmission cut out and she turned back to Tess and Vic. “LZ’s secure."

“First bit of good news all day,” Vic muttered, and Tess snorted in agreement.

“You got anything?” Caydenn asked.

Tess shrugged and pulled back from the terminal. “Nothing good. Regulators got her alright, but they didn’t say where they took her. Comm logs stop after their attack on Wayla Outpost. She could be anywhere.”

“Or she could be dead,” Vic grunted.

“That too,” Tess agreed.

“We don’t know for sure. We need proof that she’s dead until then we keep looking,” Caydenn said. They set off for a fast clip to the east, the terrain becoming more unstable the further they went. Cliffs crumbled away and more than once they found themselves backtracking to find a suitable path that wasn’t just a gaping chasm leading to the misty depths below. The camps they encountered were barely armed. A few guards stationed around the perimeter, but nothing substantial. Tess found more comm logs, some detailing Lemda’s capture, other’s her transport to secondary locations. Nothing added up.

“Prasque come in,” Caydenn said over her comm.

“I hear ya, Major. Find anything?”

“No. Just some comm logs saying she’s been moved around, but nothing else.”

“Damn I don’t-.” A beep interrupted Prasque and he glanced down at his datapad in shock. “I-it’s her. I recognize the frequency. Patching her through.”

“Blast is this stupid thing working?” A voice filtered over the holo, as an image flickered to life. A young woman of slim stature with short dark hair appeared, she was crouched down, her comm cradled close to her chest. Caydenn could make out various cuts and dried blood dotting her arms and face, evidence of the rough treatment the Regulators had subjected her to. “Hello is anyone there?”

“We read you Lemda,” Prasque said. “Your Uncle Shalim sent help. It’s the Republic.”

“I don’t care if it’s Wookie’s wearing tutus, just-.” She sucked in a breath and pressed herself back. The echoes of footsteps passing by her hiding spot echoed over the comm.

“Lemda send us your coordinate’s and we’ll come get you,” Caydenn ordered bringing the shaken girl’s attention back to her.

“Guards left me alone and I was able to slip away. You must be the murdering scum they went after,” she revealed her voice steadying. “I’m in the Gora Quake Shelter, but I’m not alone. Some of those goons chased me in here.”

“Just how old are you kid? You look like a primary student, not a professor,” Vic huffed voicing what even Caydenn was wondering. Hadn’t Shalim said his niece was a _respected_ geophysicist.

She rolled her eyes, clearly used to this type of question. “I got my doctorate six years ago. I was eighteen, you do the math.”

“Feisty,” Vic chuckled through their personal HUD comm.

“Can it Tanno,” Caydenn ordered.

“I’m sending my location now,” Lemda murmured and Prasque’s datapad pinged.

“You know I’m always partial to a good breakout story. Did you use the old ‘fork in the door circuits trick?’” Tess asked leaning into view.

Lemda gave her an odd look and shook her head. “Can we…do this later?” Shouts sounded, this time much closer and Lemda turned. “Kriff I have to-.”

The comm shut off and Prasque cursed. “Damn lost her. I know the quake shelter she’s talking about. I can take a team and get there faster than you.”

“Prasque don’t-.” But the foreman was gone. Caydenn swore and turned back towards Wayla. The damn idiot was going to get himself killed. He wasn’t equipped to fight these people. And Lemda…Caydenn only hoped she had found a safe place to hide. The scenery became a blur, Caydenn slipping back into her basic training as she ran, control your breathing and use your bodies natural momentum to push you forward. She could hear Vic keeping pace with her and surprisingly Tess was to, though with more cussing and huffing. The coordinates lit up on her HUD, the Gora Quake Shelter was just up ahead. The massive doors to the shelter stood open, bleak darkness offset by harsh industrial lights lit the tunnels crossing underground. Bodies littered the halls, some mercenary, but more were locals.

Kriff Prasque. This place was a kill box. The area too confined and enclosed for anything but experienced fighters to operate in. He was going to get himself killed. She could hear blaster fire, it seemed to echo about the bunker sporadically making it near impossible to pin down where it was coming from.

“Up ahead,” she signaled to a sealed blastdoor. It was locked tight, the access panel blinking for a passcode. She knelt and slid the metal grating off the terminal’s base and set to work cutting through several of the wires running beneath. Blaster fire continued to echo from behind the metal.

“NO!” A sharp cry ripped out.

“Got a lot of my people killed today girl,” a harsh voice snarled. “Grevin said I could return the favor.”

Caydenn twisted the last two wire’s together and capped them, the doors sliding open. She grabbed her rifle and leveled it at one of the merc’s advancing on Lemda and fired. He dropped and the other’s turned. Vic peppered their ranks with a salvo of shots while Tess picked off several Regulators hiding in the rafters above. The leader, a nasty looking Nautolan turned, firing off an incendiary round that sent her crew scattering for cover. The entire shelter rocked violently, the walls and ceiling buckling in as large cracks spread about the structure, chunks of stone and permacrete falling loose.

“The shelters collapsing,” Lemda shouted. “WE HAVE TO LEAVE!”

Caydenn gritted her teeth and rolled from cover, downing several other merc’s. A shot whizzed past her head and she turned and locked eyes with the Nautolan.

“Game over,” he growled a primed detonator held in his hand. She swung her rifle in his direction and he drew his arm back. Too slow, she wouldn’t make it. The Regulators body shuddered violently, tipping forward and landing facedown as the detonator rolled away. Behind him crouched Lemda, smoking blaster pointed at the downed man. The whining beep of the primed explosive reached its shrill climax and Caydenn threw herself flat.

“GET DOWN,” she shouted and Lemda wisely tucked herself beneath the body of a dead Regulator. The explosion rocked the fragile foundations further, the entire installation groaning. Kriff, this place could come down any minute.

“Lemda,” Caydenn yelled running over to the girl and pulling the body off her. “You okay?”

She nodded. “I think so.”

Caydenn took stock of the girl. Her face and arms were littered with bruises and nasty lacerations that dripped blood onto her white shirt and dusty cargo’s, a deep burning gash cutting across her right arm courtesy of a stray blaster bolt marred her flesh. The Regulators had not been easy on her. Nor had they been easy on Prasque and his team, their bodies lying haphazardly a few feet away. “Can you stand?”

The entire room tilted wildly to the side.

“She better be able to run, this whole place is breaking apart,” Tess shouted waving her arms about frantically to try in vain to keep her balance. Caydenn yanked the scientist to her feet, both making a mad dash across the room, dodging falling debris as they went.

“Move!”

Dust and stone followed on the backs of their heels as the four of them burst from the crumbling quake shelter before the entire structure crumpled inwards on itself in a giant plume of dust.

“Kriff, I thought those things were meant to withstand groundquakes, not fold in like flimsi,” Tess remarked leaning forward so her hands were braced against her knees.

“They’re meant,” Lemda sucked in several gulps of air before continuing. “They’re meant to withstand quakes that stay below a Richter Score of 7. The tremors we just experienced were an 8 or higher.”

The land around them was rolled and ripped up as if someone had just taken a massive shovel and dug into the ground surrounding them and upended it. Kriff.

“There’s never been groundquakes like that before. Seismic activity has increased a thousandfold since the Hutt’s began deep core mining,” Lemda explained.

“Your Uncle said something close to that,” Vic said rubbing his head as he stared back at the destroyed shelter.

“My Uncle…” Lemda shook her head clearly annoyed just thinking about the man. “Never mind. The core isn’t stable. All the data I’ve collected points to the groundquakes only getting worse.”

“That’s why they sent the Regulators after you. The Hutt’s didn’t want this information getting out.”

“It’s nothing new. I’ve been telling everyone, the Business Council, my peers, my Uncle, for months now that something was wrong, but no one would listen. To busy scraping to those thieving worms,” Lemda spat, anger clear in her green eyes. “Every kriffing scrap of data I collected shows how the Hutt’s mining has destroyed Makeb.”

“When you say ‘destroyed Makeb’ I assume you’re not just talking about its thriving tourist economy,” Tess put in.

Lemda gave her a sardonic smile that twisted the girl’s pretty features into something ugly. “The fireworks will be a great crowd-pleaser, but only if the crowds are in orbit.”

“Just how bad is this going to get Lemda?”

The girl sighed and put her hands to her head. “I don’t know. Without definitive data, I can’t say for sure.”

“Give us your best guestimate,” Tess pressed.

“Given the increasing rate of seismic activity, and the core reading I got before I was captured, I would say things will only get worse. In time entire Mesa’s will break apart increasing gravitational decay tenfold stripping away the atmosphere. Everything,” Lemda paused as if the next thing she was about to say was too horrible to put to words. “Everything will die. Makeb…Makeb will be uninhabitable.”

Kriff, forget liberating the planet from the Hutt’s they had to get everyone off this world ASAP. This complicated everything.

“Well, there goes my vacation plans. Any ideas on how to evacuate an entire planet while we can still, ya’know breathe?” Tess asked.

“There aren’t nearly enough transports. We need to figure out a way to save my homeworld. Find a real solution,” Lemda snapped back. The girl looked near broken. She had just been kidnapped, beaten, nearly killed, and was about to lose her planet and everyone she loved. Caydenn placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I won’t abandon your people. We’ll figure something out, but first, we need to get you back to your Uncle.”

Lemda’s shoulder’s visibly relaxed and she nodded. “Alright."

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The ride back to Shalim’s estate is quiet, everyone lost in thought over…Makeb’s impending doom, the end times coming about, groundquakes tearing apart the land and destroying entire cities. Caydenn patches Lemda up as best she can, but she’s not Dorne. The girl needs to get to a Medcenter. She’s worried the girl may have serious injuries internally she can’t see. It’s obvious she was beaten. Multiple times.

Tess sets Shalim’s shuttle down outside his estate gently, and Lemda jumps up and strides off the shuttle ahead of them all, a slight limp to her step, but something she wasn’t going to let slow her down. Caydenn sighed and followed. The girl was angry, and the soldier couldn’t blame her. Her entire world was falling apart around her, something she had predicted would happen long before it started, and no one had listened to her. Not even her own family.

Caydenn caught up to the irate girl as she entered her uncle’s office, green eyes flashing, and hands curled into fists.

“Lemda!” It was Ilosov that noticed them first, his brown eyes wide as he came around Shalim’s desk towards her. Tess and Vic sidled in behind the Major, and Caydenn took a step back wanting to give them all time to reconnect.

“You’re alive,” Lemda choked out, looking back at the Nikto instead of her uncle.

“I’m fine Lemda, the quakes may have rattled the city, but we’re all okay,” Shalim soothed the scientist, pulling her into a tight hug, relief evident at having his niece alive. Ilosov stood back, fidgeting as he watched the two reunite.

Tess slid in between the two soldiers and nudged them both. “Twenty credits say those two.” She pointed at Ilosov and Lemda respectively. “Are together.”

“Twenty say they’re not. You see how stuffy her uncle is. No way he lets her run around with a merc,” Vic chimed in.

“That’s if he even knows,” Tess pointed out before turning to Caydenn. “You in?”

“Pass,” she muttered back.

“Everything’s going to be fine now and-.”

“No,” Lemda interrupted her uncle pulling away from his embrace and glaring at him. “Everything’s not okay, Makeb…Makeb is-.”

“Is fine,” Shalim started. “Now that the Republic is here, we’ll be able to push the Hutt’s back and-.”

“Forget about the Hutt’s for one-second uncle and just listen to me,” Lemda all but shouted. “Makeb is breaking up, the Hutt’s mining has cracked the core and destabilized the planet.”

“Oh, Lemda not this nonsense again,” Shalim groaned in exasperation.

“I’m not crazy! You’ve seen the groundquakes and the destruction they’ve been causing!”

“Groundquakes are common on Makeb. They always have been.”

Lemda looked about ready to scream, and Caydenn stepped forward to intervene, but Ilosov beat her to it. “Avesta, listen to her. Lemda knows what she’s talking about.”

He stared back at the Nikto incredulously and then looked over to the Major who nodded in agreement. He sighed and motioned for his niece to continue.

“The groundquakes we’ve been experiencing up till now are nothing uncle. I’ve run the numbers and mapped out a rough grid of where gravitational decay and seismic instability is the worst,” the girl began pacing forward. “In two days, roughly, your office and all of Telos City will be at the bottom of a sinkhole. Beyond that, the other Mesa’s will start breaking up and geological instability will increase a hundredfold daily.”

Shalim looked to Caydenn as if expecting her to rebuke what his niece was saying.

The soldier shook her head. “I’ve seen what these quakes can do firsthand. The Regulators took her to silence her. I think she’s right about the core being unstable.”

He leaned back heavily, the lines around his eyes and forehead furrowing deeply. “Then the Hutt’s have killed us.” He turned to regard his niece sadly. “At least your expensive education is finally amounting to something.”

Lemda returned his sad smile with one of her own. “Told you I’d repay that loan.”

“I just…” Shalim struggled it seemed to find the words he needed to understand the dire situation his people were in. That he had indirectly placed them in. “I didn’t know things could get this bad.”

“Bet you wish you had listened to me before, instead of dismissing me as a loudmouthed conservationist.”

“Lemda, I’m…I’m sorry.”

The girl shrugged but offered her uncle a small grim smile. “It’s in the past.”

Shalim sighed and leaned back. “We never should have let the Hutt Cartel establish the mining operation.”

“Just how long has the Cartel been mining here?” Caydenn asked.

“Nearly a decade. We negotiated multiple mining contracts with them over the years. Their business gave our economy an incredible boost,” Shalim replied.

“I’ve been warning you about that boost for years,” Lemda reminded her uncle from her spot beside Ilosov, her body leaning into his, eyes drooping with exhaustion and pain. “Besides that, the Regulators who took me captive were quite…chatty. A lot of filthy language and bragging about their… _blasters_ , but the leaders mentioned a Project Failsafe, some kind of Hutt emergency plan if their mining went wrong, possibly something that could stabilize Makeb.”

“Hutt’s usually only care about their own oily hides. They may not even use this thing unless it benefits them,” Vic grunted from his spot by the door.

“Vic’s right. We can’t wait for the Hutt’s to do the right thing. We need to seize this failsafe and put it to use immediately,” Caydenn laid out looking between Shalim and Lemda respectively. Lemda grinned, but Shalim looked a bit more apprehensive.

“I’m glad you feel that way, Major, because we’re probably going to have to steal it assuming we can find it,” Lemda agreed.

“A girl after my own heart,” Tess murmured wiping a faux tear from her eye. “A practitioner of the five-finger discount.”

“Telos City is the best place to start looking. The Hutt Embassy database is located there. You could probably find records on Project Failsafe in the terminals,” Ilosov explained.

“He’s right, but Telos City is impossible to enter right now. It’s controlled by the Hutt Cartel.”

“Not to mention it’s the focal point of all seismic activity in this area,” Lemda pointed out.

“I can get you in. If Chief Hurkwill is still camped outside he could help us get clearance to the Embassy,” Ilosov offered.

“Chief Hurkwill? Can we trust him?”

“He was the Security Commander before the Hutt’s pushed him out. He and a few other loyal Regulators are situated around the city.”

“He get fired or something? Is that why he’s outside?” Tess asked raising her brows.

“Hutt’s put a Death Mark on his head when he refused their buyout, just like they did with me,” Ilosov replied and Lemda flinched at his answer. “Since the Hutt’s control the city and the surrounding area, we’ll have to land in the countryside and hike in from there. I’ve got his latest coordinates.”

“We’ll head out immediately.”

“Don’t die, you’re all we’ve got,” Lemda said a pained smile twisting her lips up.

“We’ll be fine, but you need to get checked out properly,” Caydenn reminded the scientist.

She shook her head. “I’m fine, besides there’s too much to do ah-.” The girl doubled over in pain; arms wrapped around her stomach tightly. Ilosov immediately steadied her, his large hands grasping her forearms and bringing her body to lean against his.

“Lemda,” Shalim began, but his niece cut him off.

“I’m fine,” she snapped pain evident in her voice, but let herself be led out of the office by Ilosov, the two disappearing around the corner.

Shalim let out a frustrated sigh. “My niece she-.”

“Needs proper medical attention,” Caydenn finished coming to stand in front of the man’s desk.

“She’s too stubborn to admit she needs help and won’t listen to anything I tell her. Maybe Ilosov can talk some sense into her.”

“Those two…they’re close, aren’t they?” Tess fished appearing beside the tall soldier. Caydenn rolled her eyes beneath her helmet.

Shalim gave the Captain an odd look. “They’re good friends, though I wish Lemda would consider spending her time with someone else less…”

“Rough around the edges,” Tess supplied giving the man a drawn smile.

“Who are you again?”

“This is Captain Tess Hawke,” Caydenn introduced the woman before she could say anything else. “She’s…an associate of mine.”

Shalim still looked puzzled.

“She volunteered to help me find your niece. I trust her.” At Caydenn’s insistence, the businessman relaxed and offered a grateful smile to the Captain.

“Thank you. Truly I can’t express my gratitude in you risking your lives to bring her back. We may not always see eye to eye, but…she’s my niece, my family.”

“I understand,” Caydenn said.

“I know she’s hurt and she’s trying to be tough, but she needs a doctor. If you could talk to her?”

Caydenn blinked beneath her helmet in surprise. “I can’t say she’ll listen to me.”

“Please Major.”

“We’ll get your niece sorted out Avesta, don’t worry,” Tess interjected throwing the man a dazzling smile which he returned tentatively.

“Thank you.”

They found Lemda with Ilosov after Caydenn had sent Vic to prep the shuttle, in a small alcove. Lemda sat up on a narrow counter that ran the length of the wall, her arms wrapped around Ilosov’s neck, lips pressed against his desperately.

“I thought you were dead,” she whispered in between fervent kisses as the Nikto tried to hold her steady. “The Regulators said they had killed a group of deserters-.”

“I’m fine,” he rasped his hands coming to clasp her slim hips. “When I heard they took you…”

“I’m here now and I’m okay.” She cupped his faced in her palms and smiled. “I’m fine.”

He shook his head and pulled back a bit. “No, you’re not. You need a doctor-.”

“What I need is a strong cup of caf and my notes. I don’t have time to be babied.”

“Lemda,” the mercenary began as his knuckles brushed over her stomach and she flinches. He notices that and gingerly lifts her shirt inhaling sharply. Her pale flat stomach is littered with abrasions and scratches. Large ugly bruises paint the skin blue and purple, evidence that someone had kicked her several times. Ilosov’s hands shake, from anger, sadness, or maybe a healthy mixture of both, an almost dark look settling over his countenance.

“Told you they were together. You owe me twenty credits.”    

Tess’s ill-timed remark causes both individuals to whip around and stare at them, Ilosov with still shaking hands, and Lemda with her mouth opening and closing sporadically.

Caydenn groaned inwardly at her friend’s comment. “I never took that bet.”

“Fine Vic owes me.”

“We’re not together,” Lemda interrupts their tiny dispute. Even as she says this, she’s still pressed up against the Nikto, fingers curled into his burgundy uniform. “We’re just…friends.”

All four just stare awkwardly for a few seconds until Tess lets out a laugh. “Yeah right _friends_. I need a friend like that.”

“Tess…” Caydenn murmurs nudging her friend to let up.

“I-I…we…you can’t tell my uncle,” Lemda stammer’s out her green eyes pleading and demanding their silence all at once.

“This some type of Eastside, Westside story?” Tess joked raising a slim brow. “You’re an uptown girl and he comes from the wrong side of the tracks.”

Ilosov and Lemda only stare at her confused.

“West Side Story? The hit Coruscant Starway musical? Seriously?” Tess exclaims turning to Caydenn to nudge her side. “Back me up here Blue Eyes. We saw it together a few months ago when I pirated a copy of it off the holonet.”

“I…look Lemda your uncle is worried about you. You took a beating and may have serious injuries-.”

“Major I’m fine. I got a little knocked up-.”

“More like majorly beat down,” Tess muttered.

Lemda glared at her before continuing. “I need to be here. I have to figure out how much time Makeb has and how to stabilize the core.”

“And you won’t be able to do any of that if your dead from internal injuries. I’ve seen a lot of people forego seeking proper medical treatment when they're seriously injured and it never ends well,” Caydenn pressed not willing to budge on the subject.             

The girl looked ready to argue, but Ilosov stopped her. He placed a hand gently on the small of her back and turned her head to face him. “Lemda you can barely stand. Go get checked out while I’m gone. Nothing’s gonna happen until we get back with the failsafe. Please.”

She looked at him for a second almost ready to disagree again, then sighed. “Fine, I’ll go.

“Thank you.” He pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead.

“My friend here can help her out. Make sure she gets there okay,” Caydenn offered and Tess nodded in agreement.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Lemda disagreed.

“Think of me as a crutch with an excellent taste in music, the arts, and whiskey,” Tess corrected the scientist giving the girl a quick smile.

“I’ll be back,” the mercenary promised softly.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Lemda whispered back pressing her lips to his quickly before he pulled away.

“I’ll grab my gear Major,” the Nikto said as he passed by the soldier. She nodded and turned to follow him.

“Major!”

She stopped and turned to regard the young scientist still perched on the counter.

“Keep him safe. Please.”

The Zabrak gave a brief nod and then slipped out. Shalim’s shuttle sat rumbling on the landing strip, Vic leaning against the boarding ramp, smoking. Caydenn paused beside him and checked her rifle and loadouts. So much had changed since her initial briefing on Keylander Station. The Hutt’s still controlled Makeb, but the planet was also falling apart, while the bulk of the Republic forces still sat drydocked on Keylander Station. How was she going to explain this mess to the Supreme Chancellor? Should she even? She couldn’t guarantee Saresh would even consider continuing to send relief aid to these people if it meant the Republic would gain nothing in return. Kriff, this whole mission was fast going south. Her subordinate let out a puff of smoke beside her as he finished off his cig, flicking the smoldering stub away and off the edge of the platform as he regarded his surroundings morosely.

“This place really is beautiful,” Vic murmured. He almost sounded contemplative. “Too bad it’s all going to hell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always thought there was something between Ilosov and Lemda in game. Maybe I'm reaching. I always enjoyed their characters in-game and decided to give them both a bigger part in the upcoming story. Also West Side Story, one of my favorite musicals, right up there with Les Mis and Wicked XD


End file.
